Neighborhood workshop to address final piece of North River Market Place plan
A small portion of a proposed commercial development straddling the west side of the intersection of Venice Avenue and North River Road will be the subject of a Zoom neighborhood workshop at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9, on a plan to change the zoning of almost six acres from low residential density uses to commercial general.
That piece is part of the overall 57-acre North River Marketplace shopping center.
In February, the Sarasota County Commission approved the zoning map change for a larger, 51.5-acre portion of the site to the state Department of Economic Opportunity for review.
Site proposed for mini-storage on River Road
The neighborhood workshop specifically deals with a parcel at the northwest corner of North River Road at East Venice Avenue. The site owner JEM Florida LLC envisions a self-storage building with access from both major roads. The draft plan calls for protecting existing wetlands and a grand tree on the northern part of the site.
To register for the workshop, visit https://bit.ly/3OpQrIP or contact Monet Moore, AICP at Kimley-Horn and Associates at 941-379-7600 or email monet.moore@kimley-horn.com.
Neighborhood workshops are not public hearings,
North River Market Place
The entire North River Market Place Critical area Plan covers a total of 192 acres – including both the self-storage site and a 51.5-acre mixed-use commercial center on the southwest corner of North River Road and East Venice Avenue.
Local Realtor Ray A. Westbrook started the group “Save the Myakka River – Stop Commercial Development Near the Myakka” to oppose the commercial development, which is says is too close to the Myakka River, which the state has designated with a unique "wild and scenic" classification.
The Sarasota County Commission agreed to a sent a growth plan change, setting the future land-use designation for the 51.5-acre parcel from moderate density residential to Village II Commerce Center.
Commissioner Mark Smith was the lone dissenting vote, saying there were no plans to include affordable housing as part of the 285 multifamily residences planned by The Barclay Group. The 110,000 square feet of commercial development would be anchored by a grocery store.
About 105-acres of the 192-acre Critical Area Plan is part of a proposed 115-acre residential development Sweet Water Lakes that could result in the construction of as many as 595 homes.
The County Commission will vote on the final zoning for Sweet Water Lakes on Aug. 30.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Self-storage site is last piece of North River Market Place plan
